Articles 1 to 10 of 57
Is a Medical Intern's 'Initiation' Harmful to Your Health?
Sandeep Jauhar's book, Intern: A Doctor's Initiation, is the unsettling account of his medical residency at a New York hospital, largely focused on his first year. It represents his take on his internship, interweaving that experience with something of his childhood, family history, previous studies and work experiences. In the process, Jauhar tells us about himself, medical education and health care.
From: August 20, 2008
Cost-effective Medical Treatment: Putting an Updated Dollar Value on Human Life
A thorny question lies at the heart of meaningful health care reform. How much is human life worth? New Wharton research based on Medicare kidney dialysis data shows that the average figure -- $129,090 per additional year of quality life -- is higher than prior studies have shown. Perhaps more important, the study also puts a value on the cost-effectiveness of treatment across percentiles of the entire dialysis population in an attempt to develop a benchmark for coverage decisions. Chris P. Lee, a Wharton professor of operations and information management, co-authored the paper titled, "An Empiric Estimate of the Value of Life: Updating the Renal Dialysis Cost-effectiveness Standard."
From: April 30, 2008
'A Race to the Starting Line': Diagnosing What's Holding Biotechnology Back
New strategies will be necessary for biotechnology companies to thrive in the new era of personalized medicine, but the healthcare system itself will also have to change, according to a panel of biotechnology company representatives at the 2008 Wharton Health Care Business Conference. Leaving behind the "blockbuster drug" mentality must be part of a new mindset for biotech companies going forward, suggested one panelist. Others discussed stem cell research, regulatory hurdles and competition within the industry.
From: March 19, 2008
Eli Lilly's Sidney Taurel: 'Tailored Therapeutics' -- the Pharmaceutical Industry's Next Blockbuster?
Sidney Taurel, who will retire as CEO of Eli Lilly on March 31 and as chairman on December 31, predicts that significant changes at all levels of the health care industry will affect doctors, payers and consumers alike. "I believe that the years ahead will amount to revolution much more than evolution," Taurel said at the recent 2008 Wharton Health Care Business Conference. Part of that revolution, he added, will be a move away from "blockbuster" drugs towards a focus on highly individualized solutions for patients.
From: March 13, 2008
Presidential Candidates Push Health Care Reform, but Who Will Pay?
As medical costs escalate and the number of Americans without health insurance continues to rise, the 2008 presidential candidates have responded by putting health care near the top of their agendas. Indeed, many candidates have already laid out detailed programs to address the nation's health care problems. As a result, meaningful change in the system seems likely to occur once a new president takes office. As Mark V. Pauly, Wharton professor of health care systems, notes: "I'm optimistic this time that we'll get something.... There is actually a chance of doing more good than harm, and I wouldn't have said that in some other years."
From: October 17, 2007
A Prescription for Healthier Medical Care Decisions: Begin by Defining 'Risk'
"Risk" is a term that comes up frequently when people discuss medicine and health: What's my risk of heart attack? Breast cancer? What's my risk of dying from a complication of surgery? Or having a dangerous reaction to a drug? But according to Mark V. Pauly, Wharton professor of health care systems, consumers don't necessarily use that term in the same way that medical and insurance experts do -- which is a potential pitfall that can lead to less than optimal health care decisions and faulty policymaking.
From: September 05, 2007
'Harry and Louise,' the Sequel? The Universal Health Care Debate Is Back
In 1993, a television ad featuring "Harry and Louise" -- a "typical" American couple dismayed by the Clinton administration's universal health care proposal -- helped to kill health care reform in the U.S. for the next decade. With the 2008 presidential election in sight, the debate has resurfaced, but are the prospects for universal health care any better today? In an ongoing study of health care systems spanning five countries, Arnold J. Rosoff, Wharton professor of legal studies and business ethics, has identified a set of factors that, in one combination or another, come into play when a country commits to adopting universal health care. This time, he says, one thing seems likely: Instead of a health care "revolution" in the U.S., change will come in increments.
From: June 27, 2007
Can Anyone Make Sense -- or Money -- Out of Personal DNA Testing?
It seemed only right that James Watson, who co-discovered the structure of DNA with Francis Crick and Rosalind Franklin, was the first to receive a DVD holding the sequence of his own DNA produced by 454 Life Sciences, a division of the Swiss drug giant Roche, and academic researchers. While DNA mapping technology under development at Roche and other companies has the potential to bring the long-awaited era of personalized medicine closer, there are enormous ethical, legal and investment hurdles to building successful business models based on decoding an individual's DNA, according to Wharton faculty and executives in the industry.
From: June 13, 2007
In South Africa, Poor Health Can Kill Small Businesses
According to estimates, micro and small businesses contribute almost 50% of South Africa's total employment and 30% of its gross domestic product. Until recently, however, the impact of poor health, and in particular HIV/AIDS, on these enterprises -- ranging in size from single owner-workers to companies with 100 employees -- has been largely overlooked by researchers. A new study by Li-Wei Chao from the University of Pennsylvania's Population Studies Center, Mark V. Pauly, Wharton professor of health care systems, and others examines how owner health determines the fate of small businesses in South Africa, and impacts the larger economy as well.
From: May 30, 2007
Novartis's Alex Gorsky: Ensuring that Patients Get Access to the Medicines They Need
Alex Gorsky was named head of Pharma North America and CEO of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., the U.S. affiliate of Swiss drug giant Novartis, in the fall of 2005. Since joining the company in 2004 as chief operating officer and head of general medicines, Gorsky has overseen the continued growth of Novartis's industry-leading cardiovascular franchise, notably the blockbuster drugs Diovan and Lotrel. The company sells a variety of products, including those that treat endocrine and respiratory disease, gastrointestinal illnesses, cancer and blood disorders and bone and joint conditions, among others. Prior to joining Novartis, Gorsky was company group chairman for Johnson & Johnson's pharmaceutical business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Before that, he spent 15 years in sales, marketing and management at Janssen Pharmaceutica. Gorsky was recently on campus to take part in a Wharton business roundtable on leadership and agreed to talk with Knowledge@Wharton about trends in the pharmaceutical industry.
From: September 27, 2006
